ENTERPRISE EDITORIAL: Burmaster’s return is good news for him and city

Published
5:00 am CST, Thursday, February 28, 2019

Welcome back, Officer Burmaster — although we still hope we don’t see your red lights in our rear-view mirror. And we bet that plenty of other Beaumont residents feel the same way. The recovery from a serious wreck by police motorcycle Officer Kolin Burmaster is one of those stories we need to read periodically, especially in these cynical times.

Prior to the Nov. 20 wreck that sidelined him for months, Burmaster was usually the guy you loved to hate (or at least dislike) in Beaumont. He was, of course, the famously gruff motorcycle cop who wrote you a ticket for whatever moving violation he caught you for. If you weren’t personally stopped by this imposing figure, you probably knew someone who was.

But after his near-fatal wreck, Beaumont residents discovered a different side of the 66-year-old former Marine. He actually had a heart, and you found yourself pulling for him in his heroic recovery from a scary encounter with an errant motorist.

In retrospect, we realize that Burmaster had a heart all along. He wasn’t some ticket-writing zombie; he was a hard-working man — a public servant — doing his best to protect people like you from drivers who think that road rules are optional. Without him and the many other dedicated men and women in law enforcement, our streets and highways would be even more dangerous than they are now.

As further proof that Burmaster has a heart, he acknowledges that his time off changed him not just physically. Now that he’s back on his bike, patrolling the city he knows so well, he has a different take on his job. If you’re just making a simple mistake — and don’t act like a jerk when he stops you — he might let you off with a warning. Please act accordingly, with him and every other police officer, sheriff’s deputy, constable or state trooper you encounter.

And everyone should remember that Burmaster was seriously injured by the very thing he is trying to prevent — people driving cars, bikes and trucks carelessly, presenting a danger to themselves and others. Don’t be that guy, or that gal. Remember that all you have to do is drive a little too fast, or take your eyes of the road for just a second, and something terrible can happen. If you think you can text and drive at the same time, you are mistaken.

Getting behind a steering wheel — or astride a motorcycle — is one of those routine things we take for granted. It’s not a routine activity, though, as Kolin Burmaster and thousands of other wreck victims can testify to. Drive slower, think more and get where you’re going safely.